Creative Support for Individuals-Round 2

Carrie Brase: Brase retired after working 22 years at Riverland Community College, predominately in student services, and 31 years with Macy's special events department. Brase was previously the coowner and human resources director for Riverside TV and Appliance company in Owatonna and Rochester. After graduating from North Park University (Chicago, IL) with a BA in English, drama, and communication, Brase spent seven years teaching high school English and theater, as well as directing and coaching. Brase has served on numerous boards and committees at the local, state, and international levels including Eastern Star and Job's Daughters. She is currently serving as president of the board of directors for the OAC.; Debra deNoyelles: deNoyelles is the development director for the Capri Theater. Her arts experience includes working for Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, the Soap Factory, East Side Arts Council, SteppingStone Theater, and more. She currently serves on the board for the Association of Fundraising Professionals-MN Chapter and the Advisory Board of SooVAC. deNoyelles has a BFA and MA in art history from the University of Kansas.; Katherine Dodge: Now retired, Kathy Dodge taught high school English. She followed that career to become executive director of the Itasca Orchestra and Strings Program. She chaired the steering committee for the Minnesota Orchestra's first Common Chords residency in Grand Rapids, served on the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (ARAC) board, cofounded Grand Rapids Arts, chaired the Grand Rapids Arts and Culture Commission, and served on the board of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. She is recipient of the Maddie Simons Arts Advocate Award from ARAC. Her education includes a BA in English from St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY) and an MA from Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY).; Mirella Espino: Mirella Espino is development associate at Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES). Espino is a second-generation Latina of Mexican descent. Navigating both the Spanish and English languages and two cultures drives Espino to advocate for a society where all are welcomed and celebrated. Immigration, public policy, the arts, and cultural preservation/engagement are her passions. Espino has written grant proposals for the advocacy and community engagement and the Latino arts and cultural engagement divisions at CLUES. Originally from central Wisconsin, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a BA in political science and Latin American studies.; Laura Helle: An Iowa farm girl by birth, Laura Helle joined the Austin Area Arts team as executive director in November 2016. Helle previously worked at Riverland Community College and Vision 2020 Austin. Helle earned a BFA from Iowa State University in graphic design with a minor in journalism/mass communication. She continues her nonprofit education, most recently completing a program on managing capital campaigns with the University of Indiana Lily School of Philanthropy. Helle serves on the Austin city council and is a member of the Port Authority, Austin Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Community Education Advisory Board, and the new Culture and Arts Commission.; Linda Salisbury: Lin Salisbury is a writer, event planner, and host and producer of Superior Reads and Superior Reviews on WTIP 90.7 Radio (Grand Marais). She was a Loft Mentor Series Fellow in creative nonfiction, and has been published in Snowshoemag.com and Fourth Genre. She completed a memoir Crazy For You, and she is currently working on a novel, The Violet Hour Book Club. Salisbury formerly worked for the Grand Marais Art Colony as an event planner responsible for planning and implementing the Grand Marais Arts Festival, a festival featuring seventy-five artists from around the region during a two-day festival on the North Shore of Lake Superior.; Boonmee Yang: Yang holds a master's degree in ESL education and works as an EL teacher in Saint Paul. He has volunteered with SOY (Shades of Yellow) in the past as a grant application reviewer, along with reviewing lesson plans for AMAZEworks to check for accurate representation and cultural sensitivity. He is part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art's teacher advisory board for integrating Asian American art in education.